Contact member for disc-shaped electrode connections



Aug. 28, 1956 H. DIJKGRAAF 2,761,116

CONTACT MEMBER FOR DISC-SHAPED ELECTRODE CONNECTIONS Filed Oct. 15, 1955 a l a INVENTOR HERMANNES, DIJKGRAAF AGENT United States Patent CONTACT MEMBER FOR DISC-SHAPED ELECTRODE CONNECTIONS Hermannes Dijkgraaf, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignor to Hartford National Bank and Trust Company, Hartford, Conn., as trustee Application October 15, 1953, Serial No. 386,305

Claims priority, application Netherlands November 14, 1952 2 Claims. (Cl. 339-258) This invention relates to a contact member for connecting a flat, disc-shaped electrode of an electric discharge tube to a conductive wall of a resonant cavity or a wave guide.

In providing connections of the foregoing type, a short cylinder is secured in a circular opening of the wall, a contact ring of resilient material, provided with cuts extending to the free edge thereof, is provided to secure the disc-shaped electrode to the wall. The circular disc shaped electrode is pressed into the contact ring or member so that it is surrounded by the resilient ring, and held by means of a circular ridge or lugs provided on the ring. This known construction has a limitation in that the cuts in the resilient ring form coupling gaps between the spaces on either side of the wall. Where the electric discharge tube is operated as an amplifier, these coupling gaps cause the tube to oscillate, with the consequence that it no longer is able to perform its desired functions.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a contact member in which coupling between the spaces on either side of the conductive wall is reduced to a minimum.

According to the invention, a contact member for connecting a flat, disc-shaped electrode connection of an electric discharge tube to a conductive wall of, for ex ample, a resonant cavity or a wave guide containing a short conductive cylinder secured in a circular opening of the wall, comprises a contact ring of resilient material, having cuts extending to the free edge thereof defining a plurality of springs. These springs are provided with prolongations extending in the direction of the flat Wall having a shape such that they slideably engage this flat wall when the resilient contact ring is urged outwardly upon insertion of the disc-shaped electrode.

This construction insures that, when a discharge tube is introduced into the contact member, the only coupling between the spaces on either side of the conductive wall occurs through the space bounded by the short conductive cylinder and the resilient ring, which communicates with the space on either side of the wall only through very narrow gaps. As a result, the coupling is reduced Well below that at which the tube will break into oscillation.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the sole figure is a cross-sectional view of one form of electrode connection in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral 1 designates the wall of a wave guide, containing a short conductive cylinder 2 secured thereto by soldering. To the flange 3 a resilient ring 4 having an edge 5 is secured by soldering, for example, to a flange 3 of the cylinder 2. The resilient ring 4 is provided with a great number of cuts or slots parallel to the axis of the system and extending to the edge 5 and defining a plurality of springs. The ring 4 is also provided with a prolonga tion or edge 6, becoming thinner towards the end, bearing resiliently on the Wall 1 and having uninterrupted cuts or slots. The springs are provided with a slanting portion 7 and a lug 8 between which the grid disc 9 of an electric dischargetube 10 is securely held. Insertion of the grid disc 9 is accomplished by simply pressing down on the slanting portion 7 of the ring, causing it to be bent outwardly (see arrows in drawing) until the disc 9 slips into the groove defined by the slanting portion 7 and the lug 8, whereupon it is securely locked in position.

While I have described my invention in connection with specific embodiments and applications, other modifications thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a conductive wall having an opening in which a substantially cylindrical member is secured, a contact member for connecting; a flat, discshaped electrode connection of an electric discharge tube to said wall, said contact member comprising a conductive, ring-like member of resilient material coaxially aligned with said cylindrical member and secured at one end therein and having a plurality of narrow slots extending to said end, said ring-like member further comprising protuberances at its other end defining a locking recess adapted to receive the disc-shaped electrode, said ring further having slotted prolongations extending from said other end in the direction of the conductive wall and slideably engaging said wall, whereby the resilient ring may be urged outwardly when the electrode of said discharge tube engages the contact member.

2. In combination with a fiat conductive wall portion having a recessed cylindrical portion containing a circular opening at the bottom, a contact member for securing a flat, disc-shaped, electrode connection of an electric discharge tube to said conductive wall, said contact member comprising a conductive resilient ring-like member secured along one edge within said cylindrical portion and surrounding said opening and being spaced from the wall of said cylindrical portion, said ring-like member having a plurality of narrow slots therein extending to said one edge, said ring-like member further having at its other end inwardly-facing protuberances defining a locking recess and adapted to receive said electrode connection, said ring-like member further having connected to said locking recess slotted, outwardly-extending extensions slideably engaging the flat side of said conductive wall, whereby opposite sides of the conductive wall communicate with each other through two, seriallyarranged, groups of slots and are thus effectively decoupled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,943 Sumner Mar. 12, 1940 2,300,893 Hayford Nov. 3, 1942 2,551,630 Page May 8, 1951 2,699,534 Klostermann Jan. 11, 1955 

